Sugar Cane Juices on a Mission

Hoy Products Inc. (Miami, FL) introduced its Guaracana brand 100% all-natural juices with a sugar cane juice base to South Florida markets on May 15, 2000. Produced under an exclusive, cost-effective, patent-pending process, the initial Guaracana line is available in six flavors—Guarapo, Mango Passion, Passion Fruit, Guava, Berry and Paradise Medley. The beverages contain potassium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, zinc, manganese, selenium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, B6, niacin, pantothenic, and no preservatives. They have a non-refrigerated shelf life of one year, if unopened.

Recently, Beverage Online reported about another company involved in the development of the sugar cane juice market, Woodland Hills, CA-based Jucana Juice Inc. (see related article). Hoy and Jucana are not related, but both companies believe they are on the cutting edge of a revolution in the beverage industry.

Hoy Products CEO Patricia M. Silver told BVOL that the two companies are not presently engaged in a patent dispute and that the sugar cane processing technologies used are very different.

"First, Hoy's technology (developed by Jorge Gonzalez) is extremely cost-effective and does not require a major capital investment by the sugar mill," says Silver. "Second, you can taste the sugar cane in Hoy's sugar cane juice. Third, Hoy's Guaracana juices already have been introduced to the market. The consumer reaction has been extremely favorable, and this is just the beginning."

Why in this age of proliferating low-cal/no-cal artificial sweeteners, does Hoy feel so confident about the future of sugar cane juice in the beverage industry? Silver has a multi-part answer: "Sugar cane juice has been consumed around the world for hundreds of years. It's not new, just new in terms of commercial applications. It is an all-natural sweetener, so it can be used in products that want to make all-natural claims. It contains many nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Sugar cane juice in concentrate form costs less than apple or grape juices, which are commonly used as sweeteners. And Guaracana juice caloric content is essentially equivalent to other juices.

"If that isn't enough to make any beverage company salivate," continues Silver, "with sugar cane juice, it is not necessary to go through a complicated flavoring process to mask inconsistent taste. Quality control is assured."

Hoy Products currently is engaged in negotiations to produce and sell Guaracana juices in both juice and concentrate forms outside the U.S., concentrating on countries with distressed economies. As Silver explains, "In third world countries where people cannot afford to buy a soft drink, let alone a juice, they will be able to afford sugar cane juice. And with sugar cane juice, they will no longer go hungry or be malnourished. Hoy can provide a healthy, low-cost beverage to the poor of the world. Hoy's mission is to nourish the world."

For more info: Patricia Silver, Hoy Products Inc.; Tel: 305-468-8852; Fax: 305-468-8856; psilver@hoyproducts.com.

Edited by Judy Rice